News Byte

This Indian Company Is Turning Air Into Drinking Water

Amid growing global water scarcity, Akvo, an Indian startup, is redefining how we source drinking water—with machines that extract water from air.

Using Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs), Akvo captures moisture from the atmosphere, filters it, and condenses it into clean, potable water—mimicking the natural process of dew formation.

How It Works

Air is first passed through a triple-layer filtration system to remove dust and impurities. It’s then cooled below the dew point, causing moisture to condense into water droplets. These are collected and filtered multiple times to meet drinking water standards—offering a sustainable alternative to groundwater and bottled water.

Built for Versatility

According to Navkaran Singh Bagga, Founder and CEO of Akvo, the biggest challenge has been optimizing water yield while keeping energy consumption low. Innovations in heat exchange, filtration, and IoT monitoring have made Akvo’s AWGs more efficient and affordable.

While best suited for warm and humid environments, Akvo’s systems are designed to operate even in moderate humidity, making them viable in a wide range of climates.

A Renewable Water Source

Akvo’s AWGs tap into the Earth’s atmosphere—an inexhaustible source holding over 3,100 cubic miles of water vapor. Unlike groundwater depletion or energy-intensive desalination, this approach is low-impact and climate-resilient.

“Atmospheric water generation offers a renewable, decentralized solution for communities facing droughts and water pollution,” says Bagga.

India Today

Akvo, an Indian company, has developed innovative Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs) that extract potable water from the humidity in the air. These machines simulate natural condensation to generate clean drinking water, providing an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to groundwater extraction and desalination.

The AWG process involves pulling air through a three-layer filtration system to remove dust, cooling the air to condense moisture, and storing the collected water in a tank. The water undergoes multiple filtration stages before it is ready for consumption.

Ideal for warm, humid environments, the technology works best in coastal regions with temperatures between 21°C to 32°C and humidity over 40%. Akvo’s AWGs also function in moderate humidity, making them adaptable to various climates.

AWGs tap into the abundant resource of atmospheric water vapor, making them a renewable, low-impact solution for communities suffering from water scarcity, pollution, and inadequate infrastructure. The technology offers a sustainable future for water security, particularly as climate change exacerbates global water crises.

For more information, read the original blogpost here.

The Week

As climate change intensifies and extreme weather events strain freshwater availability, Indian researchers and innovators are exploring cutting-edge solutions to tackle water scarcity. On World Water Day, attention turns to ideas that go beyond conventional sources like groundwater and surface water.

Harnessing Rain Energy
Dr. Visakh Vaikuntanathan and his team at Shiv Nadar University are working on an innovative concept: extracting energy from rainfall. Their research focuses on “all-weather cells” that function as both solar and rain-powered energy units. By calculating rainfall intensity and raindrop energy using IMD data, they aim to build a rain energy map and harvest kinetic energy through rooftops and drainage systems.

Water from Air: A Real-World Solution
Another futuristic technology making real-world impact is atmospheric water generation (AWG). Navkaran Singh Bagga, CEO of Akvo, leads the way with machines that pull humidity from the air and turn it into clean drinking water. Operating in 15 countries, Akvo offers eco-friendly, decentralized water systems with zero upfront costs through its BOOT model. The company recently launched the Water-on-Want (WoW) initiative, providing sustainable water solutions to corporates across India.

“AWG offers a reliable and green alternative to depleting water resources,” says Bagga. “It’s scalable, efficient, and built for future resilience.”

Technology and the Himalayas
In the Himalayan region, melting glaciers are altering river flows and threatening water security. Experts like Dr. Dipankar Saha from MRIIRS emphasize the need for urgent intervention. Companies such as Suhora are using satellite data, sensors, and predictive analytics to monitor glacial changes and help reduce disaster risks.

With India home to 18% of the global population but only 4% of freshwater resources, such innovative technologies are not just promising – they’re essential.

To read the full article visit here.

India Today

Sustainable Water Management Strategies by Akvo

India faces a growing water crisis, with 70% of its water polluted (NITI Aayog). At Akvo, we believe clean water is essential for public health, environmental restoration and economic growth. It is key to building a sustainable, pollution-free India.

Our Founder & CEO, Navkaran Singh Bagga, outlines strategies for sustainable water management:

Harnessing Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) Technology

Akvo’s Water Block extracts clean drinking water directly from the air, providing a decentralized, eco-friendly solution. Modular and IoT-enabled, it can be deployed in urban rooftops, rural schools, and remote areas, reducing dependence on groundwater.

Circular Water Management

Promoting water reuse through treatment and recycling ensures minimal waste and sustainable water use across agriculture, industries and households.

Community-Centric Solutions

Empowering communities through:

  • Water User Associations
  • Micro-Irrigation
  • Rainwater Harvesting

These grassroots initiatives ensure efficient water management and long-term impact.

Policy and Public-Private Collaboration

Strong policies like Jal Shakti Abhiyan must integrate technologies like AWGs. Public-private partnerships can accelerate infrastructure development and sustainable water solutions.

Education and Awareness

Raising awareness about water conservation helps change behaviors – reducing waste, encouraging rainwater harvesting and promoting sustainable practices.

Conclusion

At Akvo, we are committed to delivering innovative solutions like the Water Block to secure clean water for all and build a pollution-free future.

Read the full article here

Silicon India

Access to clean drinking water remains a critical issue worldwide, especially for underserved communities facing the challenges of water scarcity. AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems, founded in 2017 by Navkaran Singh Bagga in Kolkata, is pioneering an innovative solution to this pressing problem by turning atmospheric moisture into clean, drinkable water.

Continue reading “Silicon India”

Harnessing the Skies for Hydration: Akvo’s Innovation Lights Up Lakshadweep

We’re thrilled to share a snapshot of change – straight from the heart of Lakshadweep!

The year 2019 marked a leap forward in our journey towards water sustainability as we, Akvosphere, in collaboration with the Airport Authority of India (AAI), brought our state-of-the-art 180K machine to the sun-kissed isle of Agatti.

Educational Empowerment

Nested within the walls of a school that once felt the parched throes of scarcity, now stands a beacon of hope—our Akvo unit. With each drop of clean water it produces, it signifies a tide turning against water scarcity, delivering not just life-sustaining hydration but also seeding the clouds of knowledge about sustainable living and innovation among young minds.

Technology and Community

This picture captures the essence of collaboration, where technology meets humanity. The smiles reflect a community’s resilience and the promise of a future where clean water isn’t a luxury but a given. The Akvo 180K machine is more than an appliance; it’s a testament to human ingenuity and the spirit of CSR that aims to quench the thirst of generations.

Impacting Lives

As we look back at the deployment in Lakshadweep, we are reminded that innovation isn’t just about the machines we build; it’s about the lives we touch. The success of this project has paved the way for many more, spreading ripples of sustainability across the globe.

Join the Conversation

Let’s discuss how we can bring such transformative changes to more communities in need. Share your thoughts on how we can collectively make a difference with innovative water solutions.

Sustainability Karma

The global water crisis is the most pressing issue of our times, making its way across more than two billion people without clean and safe drinking water. Several factors cause this growing scarcity, namely: climate change, rapid urbanisation, and the depletion of freshwater resources. Because of this, the innovation of more presiding pressing water technologies has been their shift towards addressing these challenges, promoting sustainability, and helping in aspects to counteract climate change. One of the exciting innovations in water technology goes by the name of Atmospheric Water Generators or AWGs for short.

Continue reading “Sustainability Karma”

ET Edge – Insights

India stands at a critical juncture where water scarcity threatens not just rural areas but major urban centers as well. Rapid urbanization, coupled with the erratic monsoon patterns exacerbated by climate change, has led to a severe imbalance between water demand and supply. Major cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mumbai, despite their economic might, often find themselves grappling with crippling water shortages. In this scenario, conventional methods of sourcing water—whether from rivers, lakes, or groundwater—are proving unsustainable. It is against this backdrop that innovative solutions, such as Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs), present themselves as more than just technological novelties. They offer a fundamental shift in how we can harness a previously overlooked resource: the humidity in the air.

Continue reading “ET Edge – Insights”

Ashish Vidyarthi Podcast

Navkaran Singh Bagga (Founder and CEO of Akvo Atmospheric Water Systems) takes Ashish Vidyarthi on an educational journey on how Akvo Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) makes drinking water from Air.

Navkaran explains how their proprietary ground breaking water system and the modular system – Akvo Water Blocks utilises condensation to produce pure drinking water from the humidity in the air. Which meet large water supply needs, each block generating up to 500 litres of water daily allowing you to scale from 5,000 to 1,00,000 litres daily.

The discussion also addressed the challenges of water management in various areas of India & the world along with the importance of educating people about the possibility of creating limitless water with AWGs.

Akvo has deployed its products in 14 countries and multiple multinational companies have installed the Akvo Water Blocks, which are most effective in areas with high humidity, such as Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi, Goa, Kolkata, Mumbai, Lakshadweep etc.

The conversation left Mr Vidyarthi fascinated and we hope more people become aware of this technology because Akvo gives you complete water independence without having to be bound to pipe lines and dubious water sources.

Getting water straight from air at home

Chennai, On National Technology Day, that marks India’s progress in the field of science and technology,  AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems Pvt Ltdintroduced the home model of their Atmospheric Water Generator, AKVO Pod.

AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems is a pioneer in producing India’s first indigenously manufactured atmospheric water generator. AKVO provides safe and pure drinking water using the AWG (Atmospheric Water Generator) technology which replicates the natural process of condensation by simulating a dew point, which allows it to make water continuously, even in low humidity conditions. AKVO works on a simple plug and play method and consumes one unit of electricity to run for an hour.

AKVO has now become India’s largest AWG manufacturer with over 200 machines sold in India and Gulf countries. Moreover, this water is cheaper than any RO/UV or bottled market water. While the RO/UV filtrated water wastes 4 litres of water for just 1 litre of drinking water, AKVO has zero water wastage. The bottled mineral water which is marketed is available anywhere between INR 4.50 to INR 5.00 per litre and always has the cleanliness suspicion tag attached with it, while ours costs only INR 1.75 to INR 2.00 per litre.

The AKVO Pod has been priced at INR 99, 000 plus GST as applicable and the pre-booking starts from 11th May 2020. Customers can pre-book an AKVO Pod for an initial sum of Rs. 5,000 during the inaugural launch period which will last till July 22nd, 2020. Customers pre-booking an AKVO Pod, have an added advantage of availing a discount of Rs.15,000 on the machine will also be applicable. AKVO Pod will be delivered within 45 days of the booking and comes with a 1-year warranty.

 At one hand, when the world is in the grasp of a vicious disease and is grappling for its survival, it is also peak summertime in the country which means acute water scarcity. To help ease the struggle, AKVO has come up with a remarkable solution through AKVO Pod. It is ideal for homes, offices and small businesses. This unit can make up to 50 litres of pure drinking water per day. The AKVO Pod features a superior filter system that delivers clear and healthy drinking water.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Navkaran Singh Bagga, Founder and CEO AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems Pvt Ltd stated, “Although being home to nearly a sixth of the world’s population, India only gets 4% of the Earth’s fresh water. It has been our endeavour to change the dynamics by bringing water supply to the Indian masses at a very cost efficient and sustained manner. 70% of Indians have poor or no access to safe drinking water and 22% of Indians do not have water reaching their homes. With only 60% of water available for consumption by 2030 we are alarmingly marching towards a crisis that will require human intervention right away otherwise we will stare at a third world war and this time over water. We had always received a demand from our patrons for a unit that was suitable for their homes and offices. AKVO Pod is an answer to that requirement. We hope, with this, we can reduce some of our dependency on groundwater and make ourselves future ready.”

Water scarcity reports have become the norm across the globe. Our country is not far behind on the trend. 12 per cent of India’s population is already living the ‘Day Zero’ scenario, thanks to excessive groundwater pumping, an inefficient and wasteful water management system and years of deficient rains.

According to the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) report released by the Niti Aayog in 2018, 21 major cities (Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and others) are racing to reach zero groundwater levels by 2020, affecting access for 100 million people. The Chennai water crisis of last year gave an experience of the seriousness of the issue.

 The CWMI report also states that by 2030, the country’s water demand is projected to be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions of people and an eventual six per cent loss in the country’s GDP. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that an individual requires around 25 litres of water daily for meeting his/her basic hygiene and food needs. The world and our country need an immediate and long-term solution to the water issues.

While the entire country is under lockdown and manufacturing processes have halted all across, AKVO is ready to bring AKVO Pod in the market. They had been working on building this machine for a year, especially, keeping in the mind the Chennai Water Crisis of 2019 that made global headlines. Chennai has been one of the biggest markets for AKVO in the country with over 50 machines sold.

About: AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems Pvt Ltd:

AKVO’s Atmospheric Water Generators are created to tackle water problems and provide safe and pure drinking water using the air-to-water technology which replicates the natural process of condensation by simulating a dew point, which allows it to make water continuously, even in low humidity conditions. The endeavour of AKVO is to combat water issues experienced worldwide by providing environmentally conscious water options to homes, businesses, industries, defence forces and in an emergency as a complete disaster relief solution. AKVO is founded by Mr. Navkaran Singh Bagga, a second-generation entrepreneur from Kolkata in India.  Visit us at www.akvosphere.com/ Call us on 1-800-313-8582.